Unspoken Truths
by UnlikelyTwins
Summary: Every member of Team Seven seemed to have had a tragic past, with the exception of one, or so they thought. No one had ever bothered to question the petal-haired girl's past; they all assumed she lived a sheltered life. How wrong they were.
1. Strength at Heart

**Unspoken Truths**

Summary: Every member of Team Seven seemed to have had a tragic past, all except one, or so they thought. No one had ever bothered to question the petal haired girl's past; they all assumed she lived a sheltered life. Her teammates thought her weak, but she was stronger than they had imagined.

Team Seven: it was said to be a team of great potential and promise. Kakashi Hatake, the infamous copy ninja, Sasuke Uchiha, one of the last Uchihas, Naruto Uzumaki, the demon fox jinchuuriki, and Sakura Haruno... the one with perfect chakra control. Compared to her teammates, Sakura seemed dull, without use. Her teammates were well known by almost everyone, even the simplest civilians knew of these powerful ninja.

The quartet had just come back from a C-rank mission from the Tea country, and was headed towards Naruto's favorite food stand, Ichiraku's. As they passed by the streets of Konoha, everyone seemed to gape in awe and respect.

Over the years, Naruto had gained acceptance from all the villagers. Those who used to look down upon him now smiled at his presence. The blonde had never really gotten over the treatment the villagers had inflict on him, but being the kind hearted boy he was, he found a way to forgive them. Team Seven had been the best thing to ever happen to him, it made up for the family that he never had. With them, he felt like he belonged. Naruto had come a long way in both strength and heart.

Kakashi-sensei had blossomed from the team as well. After the death of Obito and Rin, he became distant and untrusting. The man had lost faith in people... that was until he became the sensei of Team Seven. Kakashi had lost all the family he had since long ago, all that was left of them were their names and memories. He had nothing but the village and himself. But Team Seven had given him much more, it gave him warmth that a family would provide, he felt whole with them.

Sasuke had changed the most out of all of them. During his time in the academy, he had been cold, uncaring, fueled only by his ambition to kill his elder brother. Sasuke had been thoroughly annoyed at his placement in Team Seven.

In his mind, Sakura had been weak, a deadweight, Naruto, who was slightly better that Sakura, would only hold him back from his first priority, and Kakashi, the pervert, wouldn't teach him anything worth while. He had pitied himself for being placed in such a useless group.

After being so isolated from people, the young Uchiha became socially distant; however, somewhere along the way, he found himself opening up to the quirky team. Naruto slowly took the place of his best friend and brother at heart, Kakashi became the father he never had, and Sakura, well she became someone tolerable.

Don't get him wrong, Sakura had become someone close to him, just not as close as the others had become. He had visibly softened towards her, he protected her as much as he did towards the others, yet she hadn't become particularly important. She was his teammate, and that was it.

These three held themselves confidently yet relaxedly as they strode towards Ichikaku, yet they radiated a powerful aura; their female teammate paled in comparison.

"I was awesome! Did you see how I rammed that Rasengan into Takumaru-bastard's face!" boasted the ever hyper Naruto. The blonde pounded his fists into the air in emphasis, cheshire cat smile apparent on his face.

"Tch. That was nothing. My Chidori caused more damage than your Rasengan." Sasuke said indifferently, the corner of is mouth twitching upward in an almost smile. Sasuke had grown fond of the jinchuuriki container.

Challengingly, Naruto shoved his index finger in the Uchiha's chest. "Oh yeah, Sasuke-teme! Your chidori barely grazed the guy, let alone damage him!"

"Dobe!"Sasuke fired.

"Teme!"Naruto practically screamed.

"Dobe!"

"Teme!"

And so began their daily bickering. Sakura looked rather sheepish as she gently shoved both boys apart.

"Now, now guys. Stopbickering, everyone's staring at us." Sakura urged. However, her boys would have none of it. Naruto began whining to her , but promptly shut up as her fist came down on his head. Naruto sported a bruise the size of an apple for the next week.

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Sakura had an excellent day; She had just got back from a mission with her team. It has been months since they last reunited, with her boys training and all. When the Hokage called forth her team for an important mission. It was not exactly the type of bonding she had in mind, but she was just glad to be around them.

The time they spent apart hadn't been useless for Sakura. She had went to the library everyday in search of healing scrolls. She knew she had a talent for medicine after the mission in the Mist.

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_Naruto and Sasuke once again put themselves in the hospital. Sakura sighed in annoyance. "Those two always got themselves in to trouble huh?"she thought bitterly, unconsciously, she clenched her fists._

_They just got back from the Mist. Their mission was to retrieve and guard the Matarashi Scroll with their lives. That had been the goal and that was exactly what they had done, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi._

_They fought the missing-nin. They defeated them. They protect her. Sakura's nails began to dig deep in her skin, a stinging sensation arose but she ruthlessly ignored it.  
__  
They had told her to stand in the sidelines, to "guard" the scroll while they did all the fighting. Sakura parted her lips to argue when Kakashi gave her a steely look. He didn't need to say anything, that look of his said it all. She froze. He was right. What could she do anyway? The look he gave her told her exactly what he thought of her. Kakashi thought Sakura was weak._

_Unlike Naruto, she didn't have massive chakra reserves, nor did she have the sharingan like Sasuke or Kakashi. What could she do in the battle anyway? All she'd be was a distraction, a pathetic damsel in distress. She didn't argue any further, Sakura knew he was right. She was __weak, she has always been __weak__!___

___She hadn't been doing anything at all; she just stood there like an ornament! Sakura saw her most important people bleed, she heard them cry in agony, and all she could do was cry and scream. She immediately calmed down after the battle ended. They had won and they were alive, that's all that mattered._

_Sakura dropped the kunai grasped in her useless hands, and ran straight to her fallen comrades. Her body shook like a leaf as she spotted the damage. Naruto had a broken rib, a fractured leg, and three broken fingers. Sasuke had been slashed on the stomach and had been badly burned on his right arm. Kakashi was black and blue with bruises, right eye bleeding profusely due to his overuse of the sharingan. Yet she was not injured at all, she had nothing to show from the battle._

_They had all been out cold and none of them were in a stable condition to travel home. It could take days before they recovered, and by then, infection might set in. They could die from their injuries and she couldn't do a thing to stop it. Sakura knew not how to fight nor did she know how to heal, but she'd be damned before she let her teammates die on her watch._

_Sakura reached inside her kunai pouch, and pulled out a roll of bandages. She tied her petal colored hair into a ponytail, her emerald eyes sparked with stubborn determination._

_Lightly, Sakura rolled Naruto on his back, wincing as he groaned unconsciously in pain. Using her kunai, she slashed through the remnant of his orange jacket before she wrapped the white bandages tightly around his torso all the while summoning chakra to her hands to numb the pain. Unlike a healer, Sakura might not have been able to mend Naruto's broken bones together, but she knew enough to know that broken ribs are nothing to joke about. If not handled properly, it could puncture a lung or an organ._

_Sweat peppered her porcelain skin after she finished bandaging everyone. With her chakra efficiency, she was able to use only one-eighth of her chakra. Sakura knew that her medical knowledge was amateur at best, they wouldn't last a week if they didn't get proper healing soon._

_Infection on their wounds had already begin to set in, their body racked and trembled in fever. Panic began to rise within her body and as quickly as it came, it was suppressed. A nervous breakdown would not help save them she warned herself, she had to think of a way to get them home._

_Sakura knew from her observations that the Mist had poor medical staff and wouldn't be able to heal her teammates. The closest, and most suitable hospital was Konaha which was unconventionally miles apart from where she stood._

_ Then something clicked in her mind, of course! She could perform the teleporting jutsu! She had seen it enough times from Kakashi-sensei, she knew the hand-signs and the proper dosage of chakra needed._

_However, she has never once performed it in her lifetime. Teleporting over long distance took a lot more chakra and since she had such a low reserve compared to her teammates, she couldn't afford for a practice run. If things went wrong, they would possibly perish but what choice did she have, if she didn't do something, they __**would**__ die, and no way in hell she'd let that happen._

_Sakura swiftly grabbed the Matarashi Scroll and carefully tucked it in her kunai pouch. As she walked back to the area her comrades lied, she quickly planned in her mind the traveling preparations.  
To be able to transport all of the back to Konoha, they had to be connected with her person. Sakura decided that since Naruto and Sasuke were the most heavily damaged, that she'd strap them to her back with the remainder of the roll of bandages to avoid bumping into their wounds. They had looked comically similar to the puppets Kankoro Sabaku had chained on his back._

_Squatting to the floor, Sakura lifted Kakashi bridal style. As she rose from the ground, her limbs shook and her face contorted in concentration. She had lifted over five times her own weight and although she had "monstrous strength" as Naruto called it, it was still rather hard for the twelve year old girl._

_She had to pump a fifth of her remaining chakra throughout her body just to keep them up, and even with that, she still had trouble with their weight. She considered using more of her chakra, but there was only so much she could spare; Sakura needed all of her remaining chakra to perform the teleporting justsu._

_Sakura shifted Kakashi deeper into her arms, so that she could conjure up the required hand signs. She grunted as her sensei's weight settled in her arms. Sakura breathed in deeply, trying to put all her concentration into the hand-signs. She ignored the slight breathing Naruto emitted into her neck, and just focused at her finger placement. Her hands moved painfully slow. Since she only had one shot at the jutsu, she had to get it perfect; Sakura could not afford to form a wrong hand-sign._

_Before she form the last sign, usagi, she scanned her surroundings to make sure nothing was left behind. She realized then that the missing-nins's bodies were thrown all over the field and should be properly disposed of; she supposed she should leave that for the hunter-nins instead because of course, her first priority was to keep her team safe, and turn in the scroll to the Hokage._

_Forming the last sign, she summoned all her remaining chakra towards her fingertips. A wave of nausea hit her, and her head began spinning, she tightened her grip on Kakashi to keep herself balanced._

_Once her sandals came in contact with solid ground she immediately snapped her eyes open, apparently too soon for her body's liking. Dizziness slammed into her ten times harder than before but she willed her eyes to open. She chanted in her head, "Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-kun, and Naruto will not die. If they could do it, so can I!" It became a mantra and soon the head settled down a bit. Sakura scanned her surroundings hurriedly, hoping that her jutsu had not failed. She hadn't spotted any familiar buildings, in fact she saw none at all. She begin to panic, she had failed! Now because of her, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto will die! Then it hit her, she was in Konoha's forest, just outside of the __village!_

_Her chakra reserves had been emptied and now it began to take its toll. She had only a smudge of chakra left and her consciousness was slowly beginning to fade. "No," she thought, "I have to get someone's attention!" Sakura spiked the remaining chakra she had in hopes of signaling the gate's guards._

_She knew she couldn't keep awake any longer, yet her thoughts still lingered on her injured teammates. As Sakura fell unconscious, she shifted to her right so that she wouldn't fall on any of them; a whisper of "I'm sorry" escaped her lips. She passed out before she even hit the ground._

_A whisper broke Sakura from her deep sleep. Slowly, her eyes fluttered to reveal dazed irises. She sat up slowly, her muscles ached and cracked as she did. The nurses that were previously engaged in conversation hushed at the sound of her groaning. Memories of yesterday rushed into her already fuzzy head._

_She locked gazes with one of the nurses, coldly she said, "__**Where are my teammates**__." It was not a question but a demand. She had to know that they were safe._

_Upon seeing her serious, threatening gaze, the nurse stuttered out, "H-Hatake-san is up and  
w-well. We told him to stay put in t-the hospital, but he escaped," Sakura glared at that, "B-but he's fine! As for Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san, they're just across the room. You don't have to worry, they're well taken of, you should just stay he- Hey!"_

_Sakura pushed her covers off immediately when the nurse told her the location of Naruto and Sasuke. She broke into a run towards the door, she wouldn't take the nurse's words, she had to see them for herself._

_Sakura practically ripped the door off the hinges as she entered their room. She skidded to a stop as soon as she saw the comforting smile on Naruto's face._

_"Sakura-chan!" exclaimed the lively blonde._

_Relief slid through Sakura, and her eyes visibly warmed at the sight of the knucklehead._

_"Baka! Don't be so loud, this is a hospital!" Sakura teased. To emphasize this, she gave him a good punch in the head. It was beginning to look a lot normal._

_"Itai! Ne, Sakura-chan that hurt!" He rubbed his head soothingly, smiling as widely as his female teammate was._

_Just then a groan came to Naruto's right. Sasuke had awakened at the sound of their antics; one hand rested on his bed to support his upper body, while the other was placed on his head, ruffling his bed hair._

_"Would you two just shut up." The three smiled. They weren't stupid, they knew how close to dying they were. As if to complete the picture, Kakashi appeared crouched on the window sill._

_"What's everyone smiling about?" he said amusedly. The genins shared a look of exasperation __and promptly thrown their pillows at their sensei's head._

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__  
_It would have been a rather happy memory if it wasn't for the fact they almost died. That wasn't the first time Sakura had witnessed her teammates fight as she stood in the sidelines. Before, she thought it was okay, she thought she was contributing to her comrades as well, but that had only been a lie to herself. Sakura knew that she couldn't be weak anymore, not if it affected others, e_specially her _comrades.

Team Seven had decided to take a break for a while, to "rest up." However, knowing her boys, Sakura knew that there wouldn't be a lot of resting involved, in fact it would be training twenty-four-seven.

She took the free time to advantage as well. Sakura went to the library to read healing scrolls, jutsu scrolls and any other useful material that could help her on the field. When she wasn't in the library, Sakura was on the training grounds.

It wasn't secret that Sakura Haruno was smart, however, to make it in the ninja world, smart isn't going to cut it; you have to be able to follow through with action. She tried and tried to the point of exhaustion, but still she hadn't managed to master every single jutsu (however she did come close).

Of all the ninja arts, the one that stumped Sakura the most was taijutsu. She had never been good at it, even in the academy. After the chuunin exams, Rock Lee had become good friends with her, although he still proclaims his love for her daily, much to Sakura's annoyance. She had asked the Green Beast of Konoha to train her in the art of taijutsu and he was more than happy to comply to her wishes. Although his love for her burned as bright as the sun, he never went easy on her; that was one of the reasons Sakura enjoyed training with him so much.

When ever Team Seven had a training session, she could be partnered up with Kakashi while Naruto would be with Sasuke. The reason Kakashi did this was because out of all the three options, he had been the most controlled; although it was highly unlikely, he feared that the boys might accidently hurt her, plus they wouldn't have been training really if they sparred with Sakura. The way Kakashi saw it, the boys were way over Sakura's level, she would be a distraction to their training. Meanwhile, Kakashi hadn't much training to do, so he thought he could humor her and spar with her.

Whenever they trained, Kakashi would charge at her half-heartedly, he didn't even give Sakura a single glance; all of his attention to his precious porn novel. He never said this, but Sakura knew it. She wasn't stupid she knew that Kakashi had favored Naruto and Sasuke over her, but she never once commented on it.

Sakura trained hard during those two weeks of break, and she hoped that when she came back on the field with them, they would treat her differently, equally. However, it didn't turn out that way. Not at all.

This time, they were assigned a C-rank mission. The objective was to guard Takeru Imoshi, a noble of Suna to the Tea Country safely. Unsurprisingly, there had been ninja that attacked, however, they were merely genin level nin. Sasuke and Naruto charged at the sight of them, Sakura was about to follow through when Kakashi intercepted her attack. He had told her to look after Takeru. No matter how much Sakura wanted to yell and scream at him for his actions, she complied to her sensei's wish because she knew it was not the right time or place to do it.

Naruto and Sasuke were bickering as usually as they returned and Kakashi was reading Ichi Ichi Paradise. One thing was out of place though, the thing being Sakura. She was awfully quiet, she was never that quiet.

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto's brow scrunched up in confusion, his ocean blue eyes washed with worry for his teammate.

At the sound of his words, all the members of Team Seven looked at Sakura. Realizing they were all giving her concerned looks (more of a blank stare from Sasuke though :P), she immediately shoved down her growing hurt and pain.

"I'm fine Naruto." Sakura gave a warm, sunny smile. Naruto sighed in relief and began conversation.

The smile she gave had been filled with happiness, however, it never reached her eyes. No one had noticed that and Sakura didn't know whether to be relieved, or disappointed.

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Slowly, Sakura forgot about her earlier upset and joined her boys at Ichiraku's. She ordered a Miso ramen for herself and sat herself down in between Sasuke and Naruto as she always had. Kakashi sat to the left of Sasuke, eyes glued to the orange book. They made light conversation throughout the whole meal, Sakura felt her mood rise as time flew by, she loved bonding with them. She laughed as Naruto argued with Sasuke, and teased Naruto as he drowned himself in bowls and bowls of ramen.

Optimistically, Sakura decided that even with the mission, it wasn't that bad of a day after all. Heck, even Kakashi-sensei decided to pay for ramen! What could be upsetting about that? Then Sakura Haruno's world began to crumble, for the second time.

"So," began Naruto, "Ero-senin said he'd train me! I mean like seriously train me! Even though that guy's a big time pervert, he's a good shinobi, I can't wait till tomorrow!"

" That's great Naruto." Sakura smiled softly, "I know you're going to be great someday." All playfulness evaporated, leaving only happiness and fondness she felt for the boy.

"Haha! You hear that Sasuke-teme! Sakura-chan thinks I'm going to be better than you! Man! I can't wait to go! YOSH! Hokage position here I come!" Sakura froze.

"Tsh. Dobe. No way you'll be stronger than me. Not when I leave with Kakashi-sensei to train." Sasuke retored.

"Leave." whispered Sakura. She seemed in a daze, her emerald eyes turned dull. She repeated the word in her mind again and again.

"What did you say Sakura-chan?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, confusion smeared on his face.

"Leave. Wha? What do you mean leave?" Sakura felt desperate. They wouldn't leave her, would they? Her face was almost frighteningly pale. She was mortified to even think about it.

"Well yeah. Ero-senin said we're going to travel together, learning new jutsu and..." Naruto began sprouting out his plans, but Sakura paid no mind to it.

She was in turmoil. How could he, how could he leave her? Then she remembered.

"and we're going to -" Sakura interrupted the blonde.

"Kakashi-sensei. Your going to train with Sasuke away from the village?"

"Ah yes. I was going to tell you guys but it slipped my mind. The environment of Konoha isn't very suited for the training I had in mind for Sasuke. We're going to the Land of the Stone tomorrow. Isn't that right Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"T-tomorrow?" Sakura felt like throwing up, she'd never thought something like this would happen.

"Hm, yes, apparently Naruto is leaving with Jiraya tomorrow as well." She was devastated. Sakura wanted so badly to yell at them, to scream all her frustrations. To keep them from going, but she didn't.

This was a big opportunity for them, that would help them get stronger. This meant a lot for them.

Naruto had never met his parents, he had no family and never knew the privileges of it. Jiraya was like a dad to Naruto, who was she to take that away from him?

And Sasuke. He had wanted to avenge his elder brother, Itachi. Sakura was one of the few to know this. Oh, she knew, but she didn't like it one bit. Yet, who was she to make choices for him? He could get strong this way, Sasuke would be able to fulfill his dream.

So she held in all the pain for them, so they could be happy.

"Congratulations!" Sakura's voice was sickly cheerful, yet on the inside, she was hurting.

"Thanks Sakura-chan! I better get home now, big day tomorrow! Thank's for the meal Kakashi-sensei!"

"Hn." Sakura smiled, it was Sasuke's own way of saying thank you. The Uchiha stood up form his seat and began walking towards the compound.

"Ne!" Sakura yelled, getting the attention of the boys, "Be careful." Naruto waved his hand in reply while Sasuke just continued to stalk home.

Her shoulders fell a bit and she slumped down onto the counter. Upon seeing the number of ramen bowls piled on Naruto's table, she felt pity towards Kakashi.

"Oi, Kakashi, you have to pay a whole year's worth of salary!" Sakura joked half-heartedly with a crooked smile. Her smile faltered even more when she saw that he was not there. She was the only member of Team Seven at Ichiraku's.

"Check please." She whispered bitterly, "What a nice way to remember them by, huh?"

Team Seven had left her there alone, with a massive bill, and a broken heart. It was only until she reached her bedroom did she allow her sunny smile to drop.

Her room was dark. The pale glow of the moon was the only source of light. Not even bothering to take off her shoes, Sakura flopped face first into her mattress. Tear leaked from her eyes, and shudders rammed through her body. She shook as the pain free flowed from her heart.

Sakura somehow found a way to forgive the boys, just like she always did, just like she always had to.

**Please Review~! **


	2. Fragility of the Heart

**Unspoken Truths**

**Before I unveil the second chapter, I'd like to give special thanks for those who reviewed and favorited "Unspoken Truths." The support you gave meant so much to me. Only God knows how happy I had been to receive your thoughtful words... well God and my twin :P**

I'm sorry if this chapter disappoints you~! If so please give suggestions, I'll work super hard on the next chapter! ****

**Oh, also, thanks to my "Grammar Natzi" twin for editting thoroughly~!  
****  
** Fragility of the Heart

Summary: Every member of Team Seven seemed to have had a tragic past, all except one, or so they thought. No one had ever bothered to question the petal haired girl's past; they all assumed she lived a sheltered life. Her teammates thought her weak, but she was stronger than they had imagined.

*******************

Gray clouds engulfed Konoha; the once colorful buildings looked worn out and dull. The sky rumbled with coldness, as if to express its anger. A storm was brewing up in the Hidden Leaf Village in an unusual time of year. It was summer, a time where rain was practically extinct, yet drops of water continued dripping down from the heavens.

It hadn't yet been a day since the male members of Team Seven departed from the shores of Konoha, however from the moment they left, it seemed as if the once exiting village turned to stone. It was as if when they left, they took all the happiness along with them, leaving not even a smudge of cheerfulness behind.

All the color was sucked out of Haruno Sakura's life. Her once energetic green eyes turned to deep pools of gray; the petal colored hair that others praised turned flat and bland. She was a mess without her boys there for her.

"Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke and Naruto left today huh?" a figure spoke softly, her shadow arched on the stone wall, shoulder slumped in a curve; the outline of her shadow shook. Sakura Haruno was crying, for the second time that day. She had been doing that a lot lately huh, she thought bitterly.

Since long ago, she had decided she wouldn't cry so easily anymore, that she wouldn't care if anyone left her because she didn't break so easily anymore.

Sakura had cried many times before, but it had never been for herself, her tears had always been for others. She cried for Naruto and Sasuke when she thought about their past, when they got hurt, when they felt like failures, yet she never felt that her tears were wasted. But now, now she felt disgusted.

On the contrary to what the villagers thought, the beads of saline streaked on her normally rosy cheeks were not for her departed teammates; but for herself. By the time she returned home in a crying mess last night, the village had already been bustling with the news of Konoha's famous trio's farewell.

Gossip buzzed all around of how the team got sick of her and left her all by herself, or how her teammates had decided to kill off all the Akatsuki and decided taking Sakura along would be too much of a hassle. New versions were spread like wildfire.

Sakura didn't care much for what they had to say, she didn't care if they ridiculed her, no she didn't. When she strode past the villagers, they immediately hushed up or whispered among themselves about her predicament in what they thought to be a quiet voice; but she heard, she heard all their comments and insults. This never got to her though, it was the look of pity in their eyes that killed her deep inside. It reminded her too much of _him_, of the looks she got when _he_ left her too.

What revolted her more was that she actually pitied herself too. Sakura's logical side told her that it was only normal to cry after a great loss, but she shook that thought right out of her head. Sakura had thought she had finally become stronger! She promised, no, vowed to never cry for being left behind! She told herself instead of crying, she'd find a way to catch up! And now, now her resolve was going down the drain! It took her years to build up her strength, and it just took one day to destroy it all.

"Am I really that weak?" she sobbed, her heart pounding a mile a minute. Forcefully, she tried to suppress her tears, but no avail; there was no stopping her growing pain and she knew it, but it didn't mean she gave up trying.

She took a deep breath before she began crying once again. Sakura repeated this process a few times, but there was still no progress, she was never able to cease her tears. Her heart clenched painfully as the day's memories began to replay itself.

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_A beep sounded a quiet, quaint little room. The early morning sun drew light through the shifting curtains and displayed itself on the light green walls. It was a fairly simplistic and organized room. A medium sized oak wood desk was placed in the right corner, to its left was a mahogany shelf filled with books of all sorts. It would've been relatively normal room if it weren't for the pictures attached to the walls._

Pictures of people hung everywhere. Some were of a enthusiastic blonde girl, another of a milky eyed boy, and so many others. If you looked closely, you would noticed that every member of the genin teams were displayed, all except one single member. The member with pink colored hair.

The beep insisted on replaying itself over and over again, much to the owner's annoyance. A pale hand shot out under the blue covers, its fingers grazing over the buttons of the alarm clock before settling on the largest one. With one click, the beeping promptly ended. The hand rested on the clock, seemingly unmoving.

Sakura Haruno laid in bed, curled up in a ball. She had been sleeping rather soundly, just like any normal day before her annoying alarm clock sounded across the room. Grumbling under her breath, she reached her arm clock to disable the pestering sound.

Just as she was about to retract her appendage, thoughts of yesterday came rushing back to her at an alarming rate. Her mind and body froze at that exact moment.

_ "Kakashi-sensei. Your going to train with Sasuke away from the village?" she heard her own voice say._

"Ah yes. I was going to tell you guys but it slipped my mind. The environment of Konoha isn't very suited for the training I had in mind for Sasuke. We're going to the Land of the Stone tomorrow. Isn't that right Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"T-tomorrow?"

"Hm, yes, apparently Naruto is leaving with Jiraya tomorrow as well."

The conversations she had yesterday continued to play as if it was a broken record. Before, she had hoped that she had been dreaming it all up, that no one was going anywhere and things would stay the same. But reality set in, and it was never an easy thing to handle.

Her out stretched hand tightly squeezed the clock, eyes hardening in reflex to protect herself.

"Today, they're going to leave me today." The voice she heard sounded nothing like herself, even Sakura failed to recognize her own voice.

The pain that she felt yesterday returned to her weakened form, once again eating her alive. She was just about ready to burst into another round of sorrow when another thought occurred to her. Sakura realized that if she wanted to see her boys one last time, she would have to hurry for all ships in Konoha left early in the morning, however she just couldn't bring herself to get dressed.

She contemplated not going to see them off, but her heart had broke even more with that reasoning. Not wanting to hurt anymore, Sakura followed her bossy heart's wishes and got up from her warm bed and hurriedly prepared.

Turning to the mirror, she thought she looked presentable, but when she peered into her usually bright green eyes, she saw soulless orbs instead. It frightened her that this was the person she had become.

"Why are you like this Sakura? Why so sad? So they may be leaving, but it's not like they are leaving forever right? They'll come back. If not for yourself, at least try to look happy for Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei! You wouldn't want their last memory of you to be of an ugly girl right? Come on now, cheer up!" she scolded herself. And as crazy as it seemed, her words had convinced Sakura completely. Her eyes once again turned back to their normal candied apple shade.

Carefully, she reached down to the frame that stood proudly on her bedside table. Raising it to her lips, she gave it a quick peck before placing it back on its stand.

It was a picture of Team Seven, a picture that always made her feel complete. That was the only photo of herself she had in her room. Within the frame, she stood in the middle of her three smiling boys, a grin as cheerful as her teammates planted on her face. That was one of the happiest day in her life.

_ Smiling widely, she threw her fist into the air in new found determination, "Yosh!" she cheered. Merrily, she strode down the sidewalk in confident yet carefree steps towards Konoha's harbor._

Once she was close enough, she saw small dotted figures near the waves; she knew right away that those dots were Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi. Happily, she sprinted towards their person before engulfing them in a large bear hug.

Being completely surprised by her sudden arrival, the boys toppled over.

"Aren't you energetic in this early time of day?" mused the copy ninja.

"Eh? What are you talking about? It's great that she's this happy! Ne, Sasuke-teme?"

"Hn." replied the indifferent Uchiha.

"I was just so happy to see you guys! You know, considering..." Sakura didn't continue on with her sentence in fear of breaking down in front of her teammates; instead she steered the conversation away from their departure.

"So, what do you think of Konoha's having a female hokage this time around? I for one think it's great, I mean Tsunade-sama is a highly skilled person, and plus I was beginning to think that you males have become a little to cocky about your strength. She could probably lower you egos a bit more for my liking. Dont you..."

The quartet chatted for a long time, pure happiness radiating from them; even Sasuke, the socially challenged boy added a comment once in a while. Time passed a little too fast for Sakura's liking, after an hour, the ships hooted in signal that they were about to leave.

With a smile and wave, her boys shuffled onto the steel ship. They waves and smile back at her just as she did as they ship travelled farther and farther away from her person. Even when they were no longer in her vision, she kept smiling. Sakura never once faltered because she was afraid that if she did, her finely honed mask would break.

Once the boys left, Sakura was all alone. Rookie Nine and Team Gai had considered saying their goodbyes to the trio as well, however, they had felt the need to give their female teammate some time with her boys, after all, they had been closest to her.

The girl had been doing a rather good job at driving her pain away until she returned to the village.

Everyone had heard of Team Seven's departure from Konoha and were aware that she was the only member still in their village. Whispers and eyes stabbed her. They had pitied her.

At first she payed no heed and kept grinning, but soon, her strong appearance fell off piece by piece. The people practically radiated pity towards her, she almost choked in the high concentration. Not soon after, she also began to believe that she was a piteous creature.

The corners of Sakura's eyes began feeling the familiar prickly sensation; before tears streamed down her face, she bolted towards an empty ally.  
_  
Only when the sky turned dark and the people began to fade from the streets did she reveal herself; Sakura's eyes were heavy and swollen from her previous sobbing._

The streets were completely bare, "Good." she muttered to herself, it was exactly what she wanted. She had quietly wandered for minutes, hours, she didn't know, in hopes of getting rid of the emptiness she felt. Her resolution wasn't working too well, even now she was crying.

For the second time, Sakura Haruno felt utterly and completely defeated.

~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~

And that was what happened previously that made Sakura so miserable. She couldn't stop feeling abandoned and useless no matter how hard she tried.

Sakura wished that _that_ person was here right now. She knew that if anyone could comfort her, it would be him. Ironically, she thought, it was silly to know that the person who could comfort you from feeling abandonment was the very person that had left you before.

Sakura knew that that person wouldn't comeback, at least not now. So she did the next best thing. Without hesitance she turned back from her original direction and sprinted towards her sanctuary.

~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~__

It wasn't long until she reached her destination. Sakura stood in the haunted looking estate, her shadow cast upon the gray concrete. Using all the strength she could muster, she grasped the already rusting gates and pushed it open.

The gates made a ear racking shriek in protest. A gloomy aura engulfed the setting, as if to ward off all those that stepped within three yards radius of it; but the broken kunoichi paid no heed to this.

If it were anyone else, they would have hightailed back from the estate, but this wasn't just anyone, this was Sakura. The emptiness and grayness of the buildings chilled her, but also kept her numb from the pain. What others saw as a haunted mansion, Sakura saw as a place of happiness.

She found walking across the path extremely calming. Her desperation subsided along with her tears, only to be replaced by reminiscence and grief. The female member of ...what used to be Team Seven chuckled darkly, ironically, the place that relieved Sakura of her recent heartbreak, was the place where her heart had broke four years ago.

She walked passed rows of houses, until she finally stood in front of the slightly grander home. The once proud Uchiha fan was displayed on the stone wall, a deep crack running through the red and white uchiwa. __

A bitter smile graced Sakura's lips. Taking a step back, she bowed down low, her silken locks dangling over her sea foam pupils.

"Tadaima." she stated simply.  
Without hesitation, she walked in the esteemed home, maneuvering herself around the dark interior like she had lived there all her life, which to some degree was true.

Through the darkness, Sakura could see a faint outline of a grandfather clock. Carefully, she crept towards it. Now up close, Sakura could could make out the intricate designs of leaves and vines carved on the maple wood. The tips of her fingers began to trace the pattern; a smile made its way to her face as she set her complete concentration on feeling the dips and curves of the maze like vines.

As she lost herself in past memories, she unconsciously began to rub her thumb and forefinger back and forth, a habit she had picked up ever since she was a toddler. Slowly, she came out of her daze; looking down, she realized her fingers were filthy with dust.

"I guess Sasuke wasn't much of a house maid. I wonder how he survived living in this dust infested place." she grumbled good naturedly. Her thoughts began to drift back to her teammates, Sakura felt moisture build up in her green irises. Before the waterworks came, she managed to distract herself with a self assigned task.

"This place isn't going to clean itself." she stated nonchalantly.

Rolling up her long sleeved shirt, with a cry of determination, she began the tedious chore. She hummed silently to an eerie tune, her voice slightly off pitch. The night was silent except for the ticking of the recently fixed grandfather clock and the sound of sweat dripping onto the floors.

An exhausted moan escaped her lips, her eyes drooped from lack of sleep; her vision began to blur and he balance wavered. She leaned her head against the wall to keep her from toppling onto the floor, patiently waiting until the dizzying spells subsided.

Sakura craned her neck towards the clock, her neck emitting a sickly crack in the process. She winced at the sound.

The big hand rested on the two while the small hand made itself home on the ten, her eyes widened. She took a double take just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. If she had been correct, she remembered that she had entered the compound around nine. Sakura had no idea that so much time had passed already.

In five hours, she had only managed to clean the living room and kitchen. Although she hadn't been able to cover much ground, she was mildly pleased to see the whole place practically glistening. Sakura had done a thorough job, not a single particle of dust was spared from her merciless cleaning.

A chill ran through the kunoichi's spine. The rooms had looked exactly as they were before the massacre. For a split second, Sakura had thought she saw the entire Uchiha clan smiling at her.

It disturbed her. This was not the way she wanted to remember her past, not all at once. And another thing, why were they smiling? After what she'd done, how could they still treat her as a part of them. Her thoughts cluttered up, her mind became hysterical until finally, her energy was depleted.

The rational side of her mind had finally gotten through to her, she needed to rest before all else. For now, she decided to forget about her vision, to forget everything.

Tucking her hair behind her dainty ear, she sighed. Her kaa-san had always told her that she worked herself to the point of exhaustion whenever she had her mind in something. Sakura herself didn't even realize she picked up on that habit until her mother spoke those words. She had thought that she had broken that little quirk of hers years ago. She would be very upset to see Sakura revert back to her old ways.

Haruno Sakura was tired. She was tired of waking up every morning feeling unaccomplished. She was tired of being left behind, of being forgotten, of having memories. She was tired of living in a non-giving world.

She gave life her all, she never once doubted that something good would happen to her one day, that her future was bright and that the pain she experienced was merely a small sacrifice to pay. But now, now it felt like she was all drained out, both mentally and physically. All she wanted to do was to fall into an endless sleep, to dream of a happy ending for herself, to escape her pain.

Sakura knew that her thoughts were akin to giving up, something she had sworn long ago never to do, but she couldn't help it. Pain had overpowered her person; she was tired of fighting. And another thing, who and what was she fighting for? Herself? What's the point of fighting for herself if she had nothing. She had no one.

Her head pulsed as fast as her heart. Sakura didn't want to think anymore, all she wanted to do was curl up in a warm bed and leave her problems behind...or at least until tomorrow when she would be fully awake and rational.

The pitter patters of feet against wood glided across the hall. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier with each step. She was literally fighting with all her might to reach her destination before falling asleep. Although the wooden floors looked extremely tempting and comfortable at the moment, she knew that her back would not appreciate it when morning came.

Sakura was grateful that both her parents were out on a mission for the week. She didn't want to go home, nor did she want her parents to know exactly what she had been doing for the past five hours.  
Her feet abruptly came to a stop at the sight of a chiseled door. Sakura turned the knob carefully, preparing herself for what she was about to see inside. Her eyes were pressed together in worry. She carefully closed the door with a click before she turned towards the room. Her left orb peeked through her eye lid, lips already twisted into a grimace.

To say that Sakura was surprised would be an understatement. For a split second she had though that she had been placed in genjutsu. The room had been exactly the same as she had last saw it.

A futon sat on the far left corner, right across from a closed window. A desk cleared of all papers was placed near the door, and a simple closet in the right corner and a tatami mat sat in the middle of the room. The room had been plain and simple overall. It was so impersonal that one would think that the original occupant had merely been a guest.

"So Sasuke didn't come in here after that huh?" Besides the thin layer of dust, the room was rather clean.

Sakura made her way over towards the window, opening it widely, her muscles relaxing at the light breeze. He had always liked it when the window was opened.

She turned her heel and headed towards the fluffy futon. Lifting the covers, she cocooned herself deep within the sheet, arms crossing against her chest protectively. After all these years, it still smelled like him, she sighed in content. She felt herself melt at his unique scent, it never failed to make her feel safe.

Before falling into her well-deserved rest, Sakura could have sworn she saw striking oxy eyes of the boy...no man, that had been haunting her dreams for the past four years.  
"Itachi-san." She whispered airily.

That night, Sakura Haruno slept with a smiling face. It had been one of the few nights that she had a peaceful and completely blissful sleep in days.

It was in this haunted house did Sakura feel most comfortable in; her happiest memories were kept right in the Uchiha estate. This was where she felt home, where she found love, and where she found pain.

Sakura's tranquil sleep was cut short. Pink brows furrowed in hurt, sweat shinning on her temples. Her hands began digging into the white futon, nails scrapping against the soft material. A quiet moan of discomfort echoed in the room. A nightmare had made way towards the pink haired girl, a nightmare so vivid that the girl began sobbing in her sleep.

Sakura's past memories were playing within her subconscious. Her body twisted around, as if to escape, but no avail, she could not wake up from the nightmare. Pain would not subside from her heart and soul; Sakura felt tainted from her past. She let out a low whimper before returning to her dreams.

~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"

**Sorry it took me so long to update... you wouldn't believe the amount of homework our school assigns us, I'm surprised I haven't gone mental yet. Hope this chapter wasn't much of a disappointed~! I'll update as soon a I can! **

**Please Review~! :)**


	3. Promised to You

**Unspoken Truths**

Summary: Every member of Team Seven seemed to have had a tragic past, all except one, or so they thought. No one had ever bothered to question the petal haired girl's past; they all assumed she lived a sheltered life. Her teammates thought her weak, but she was stronger than they had imagined.****

_This Chapter takes place all in past. It's not exactly all about Sakura and Itachi, in fact his ones all about Mikoto and Haruka, their mothers :). But rest assured i'm getting there! It's probably going to take chapters just to reveal her past X) but be patient~! Enjoy~! :)_

_  
Chapter Three : Promised to You

A flash of black and red was all the warning the villagers got before shrieks rang in the bustling market at a near deafening pitch. Birds scattered and squawked in irritation as hands flew to ears at the sound. The adults winced while children looked over in curiosity. The myriad of ninjas scattered among civilians immediately had weapons grasped in their skillful fingers by instinct. When their observant eyes landed on the producers of the alarming sound, they relaxed and carried on with their daily lives.

This was not the first time it has happened, however the women never failed to catch the inhabitants of Konoha by surprise with their actions.

Mikoto Uchiha and Haruka Ito stood in the middle of the street, hands clasped together in glee.

"Mikoto! I can't believe you're back already, I thought that you weren't going to be in Kiri for three months!"

"Well our team completed the mission quicker than planned. You know how Riki and Kaho are ever the perfectionists during assignments; not that I mind. I love them and all but both of them are as conversational as rocks, in fact if I didn't know any better, I'd say they were from the Uchiha clan too; after all they seem to have the same level of social skills." drawled the oxy haired women.

Haruka giggled lightly at this, "Thank god you didn't inherit that Uchiha trait, you'd be even more irritating than you are now!" joked the ever lively redhead.

In response, Mikoto stuck her tongue out childishly, "You're just jealous that I'm the good looking one!"

"Tsk. Yeah right! You're just lucky that your clan's got looks! Besides I'm not that bad looking! I'll have you know that Takashi asked me out yesterday!"

"Takashi? As in the boy that you've been pinning after ever since the academy? Wow, miracles do happen, I'd thought you'd grow up to be a bitter old women with that big forehead of yours!"

"What'd you say!" demanded Haruka.

"Baa-chan!"

"You're just lucky that you're set for life! Not all of us can be born from prestigious clans!"

Suddenly, the cheerful mood disappeared, upon hearing her own words, Haruka immediately regretted them. It had been a sensitive nerve in Mikoto. Her companion upon turning eighteen, will have to marry the Uchiha Clan heir. The woman's birthday will be in a few months, she had just a little over half a year as a free women.

This was not a normal marriage that would take place, Mikoto was to give up all of her life with just one vow, she would be leaving behind all her freedom and dreams. The women had only just made it into Anbu but last month. She was in the height of career, and she would be stripped of all her hard work in just one day.

She has seen what the clan was like, and she wanted no part of it. Mikoto had very little freedom to begin with. The Uchihas were very prideful creatures, they would not accept anything less that perfect. They were strict to the core, your every move would be surveyed and if you displease the elders, you would be in deep shit.

Her parents had trained her to become a perfect little doll, always polite and strong. Mikoto had been just like any member of the clan, an emotionless prodigy. However, on her first day of the academy, she met Haruka Ito.

Haruka had been a gentle fun loving girl who had stuck to her like glue regardless of the cold gestures she received from the female Uchiha. Slowly, her heart melted and her true personality shined through her cold armor. Without the help of Haruka, Mikoto wouldn't have been who she was today, and for that she was extremely thankful.

Haruka had felt the same way about Mikoto. Her parents were civilians who didn't exactly find her ninja career substantial. The only reason they actually allowed her to join the academy was because they were sure that she would quit her pursuit upon seeing the vile work ninjas did; they had decided to humor her and nothing more. Haruka felt disappointment for her parent's lack of support, she wanted to please them, yet at the same time she had no intentions of quitting just for their sakes.

The two of them were born from different environments, yet they found themselves in the same situation as one another. Both wanted a sense of belonging and they found that in each other. The girls, became each other's pillar, and even now, as women, they continued their strong friendship.

Mikoto had known they're friendship would be risky as did Haruka, but both decided to continue it anyway. Mikoto's clan being so strict, wouldn't allow her to have such "lowly companions" as they would put it.

They met only when they deemed it was safe. At first Haruka was irritated by the secretive procedures they had to go through; she understood why, but that didn't mean she had to like it, but even so, she tried her best to keep her ties with the female Uchiha.

Being the sneaky girls they were, none suspected a thing, however all good has to come to an end. Harunka was waiting beside the riverbed that she and Mikoto had always met at. It had already been thirty minutes since the decided time, something was definitely wrong. She was sure that she wasn't hallucinating that Mikoto said to meet her here. She always kept her promises; panic rushed into her system, she had to find Mikoto.

Stealthily, Haruka glided into the Uchiha compound undetected. Having never been to Uchiha territoy, she had no idea where to find her best friend, however, her keen ears managed to catch feint sound of Mikoto's voice. She hid under the window, chakra still carefully masked, and listenned.

"-will be married Mikoto." said a demanding voice.

"Kaa-sama, Tou-sama! Why me? Please tell the elders to reconsider! Please!" Mikoto's voice was full of strain, pain ebbing away at her voice.

"Mikoto, you will cease your insolent attitude. It would be an honor to marry Fugaku-sama. He is next in line to become the clan head, you should be thrilled about the news."

"Demo! I still have a lot I want to do, a lot I want to see! There are a lot of Uchiha women out there! Why must it be me?"

"He has chosen you Mikoto, and you will marry him next spring." her father's tone was final.

Mikoto was about to protest again when her mother's voice interrupted her.

"I have never seen you act this way before. No daughter of mine will be this rude and distasteful." Her arm raised as her palm came down towards her daughter's cheek lightning fast; Mikoto closed her eyes, ready for her punishment.

A flicker in the room stopped all motion. Gasps were sounded from the occupants of the residence. Haruka caught the hand seconds before it made contact with its intended target.

"How can you hit your own daughter like that? If she doesn't want to marry, she doesn't have to! What kind of parents are you to not give a shit about your own flesh and blood?"

The elder female was the first to recover, "How dare you? Who are you anyway! You are trespassing into Uchiha territory. As for how I treat my daughter, it is for me to decide!"

"Yeah right! Mikoto's not a puppet you can manipulate! She's her own person!" retorted the fiery redhead.

Upon realizing her best friend was here, Mikoto's determination hardened. Haruka, Haruka her best friend was here. She had come all the way here and defended her against her terrifying parents even if it meant her getting in trouble. Warmth spilled forth in her body, no one had ever cared so much about her. With new found determination, she stood up.

"This is my friend, Haruka Ito." she stated calmly.

"Friend? This lowly excuse for a ninja is your friend! I thought we taught you better than this! I am appalled that-"

"Silence." she stated simply.

"Why you-!"

"I will marry Fugaku-sama, but only if you agree to my terms."

"Who are you to make demands! We are your parents!"

"My marring Fugaku would be a great asset to you, if I don't marry him, you two will be in shame."

"You go girl!" supported Haruka from the sidelines. Mikoto glared lightly at that, she knew Haruka means well, but she can go overboard.

"I will remain friends with Haruka, I will not marry him until I am of civilian marriage age, 18, and I will be allowed to do as I please before my wedding day."

"No! That is not acceptable. You-"

"If you do not agree, I will not marry him."

Just as her mother was about to retort, a hand slid on her shoulder, ceasing her words.

"Fine. But you _will_ marry him once you turn eighteen. You will keep your promise and we shall keep ours." her father stated firmly. He knew that his daughter wouldn't back down, and he had no intentions of losing his possible connection to the clan heads.

With that, Mikoto was a free man, or woman shall I say. She had six years to live her life to the fullest. Her thoughts about the marriade had been put off for years, but when the deadline came closer and closer, she was reminded of her own end of the bargain.

Haruka too knew of her friend's predicament and tried to distract Mikoto from it as best she could. However now, she had just done what she tried to avoid; remind her that she would be married to Fugaku Uchiha in no sooner than half a year. Mentally slapping her face, she laughed awkwardly.

"Mikoto. I'm sorry." she said dully, "I didn't mean to-"

"I know," her voice was hard, Haruka winced at this. Upon seeing this, she felt a pang of regret, after all it was not her friend's fault, marrying the Uchiha head was the inevitable. She shouldn't be mad at her long time companion for something that wasn't her fault.

"I know," she said again, this time gently, "It's not your fault. I was coming one way or another. At least he's not _that_ much of a prick, he's nice enough, and we've come to respect each other somewhat. I'll be fine. But it does help that he's extremely hot." She joked lightly.

The two bursted out into giggles at the last comment, once again steering the conversation away from the sensitive topic.

"Sooo, what's up with you and Takashi?" Mikoto stated suggestively. Haruka promptly turned beet red with blush.

Light conversation continued as they walked aimlessly around their beloved village. Both girls were obviously happy as their eyes sparked with glee. They continued their montage until dusk, their problems fading away s they had their annual girl time.

They had just finished dinner when Mikoto realized the time.

"Damn, it's seven twenty-five already? The clan meeting is starting in five minutes. Shit, got to run Haruka! I'll see you tomorrow!" She was reluctant to since it was obvious what the meeting was about, her wedding with Fugaku; however, she had made a promise years ago and she was not about to break it.

She was about to jet away when a hand grasped her elbow.

"Mikoto, I'm sorry about... you know. I know how much you're sacrificing for this, your freedom, your-"

"Okay stop this now. It's not your fault, I made my choice and I'm sticking to it. Plus, they're not taking my freedom," at this she got a pointed look from Haruka, quickly correcting herself, "Well, its limited but not complete Mikoto Uchiha! No one tells me what to do! Fugaku's got a lot of nerve to take on me."

As if to support her words, she raised her fist up into the air, a look of arrogance on her pale face. The tension in the air was gone in a snap, both girls began laughing at the Uchiha's crazy antics.

Haruka was first to sober up, "Ne, Mikoto, I've got an idea for your first rebellious act towards the clan," she started haughtily, "let's promise to marry our children, none of your kids will have to marry into the clan like you have to."

Mikoto grinned cheekily upon hearing her best friend's decision, she was sure that their kids would love each other, call it early mother intuition, but she knew.

They shook hands on it, both sporting twin like expressions of promise. Their deal was made and little did they know that that was the beginning of the next chapter in their life.

Suddenly, Mikoto's face fell, "Damn! Now I really am late for the meeting! Catch you later Haruka!"

Haruka waved goodbye to her long time friend and began walking back home, whistling a tune goodnaturedly as she was at it.

_  
_FourYears Later_

Itachi clutched his mother's hand lightly as he walked down the street to his Aunt Haruka and Uncle Takashi's shared apartment. At age two he was already deemed a prodigy by his village. He had just recently joined the academy and was already earning the top marks although he was the youngest of his classmates.

It was obviously the clan's idea to send the young boy to begin his ninja training; Mikoto had argued about the matter however no avail. She fought tooth and nail with the Uchiha clan elders to postpone it, however the elders payed no heed to her demands.

She was angry that the clan didn't listen to her, but most of all she was angry with herself.

Mikoto is Itachi's mother, she of all people should have more authority that those foggy old geezers, yet that wasn't the case. She was merely a figurehead, "Lady Uchiha" was just a title, she held no power in her hands. The clan didn't even think about the effects their choices would have on _her_ son. All they thought about was their own backsides and she was sick of it.

In her last hopes to help her son, Mikoto turned to her husband. Fugaku was the clan head, there had to be something he could do! On the contrary to what most thought, Fugaku wasn't heartless; Mikoto had learned that after her marriage. He was a rather selfless, honorable, man who might have had a dab too much of pride. As a couple, they had earned mutual respect for one another, and if I dare say, sometime along their marriage, Mikoto found herself in love with the man.

She was surprised when Fugaku had outright reject her pleas. Mikoto was so hurt that the man she fell in love was him, she was utterly disappointed. He had thought that it was what's best for the clan. Sure in some way he was being selfless by thinking of his people, as leaders were suppose to do, however Mikoto could not believe that he'd be willing to sacrifice his own son to achieve it. It was his own flesh and blood he was talking about! Her own husband was willing to sacrifice their child for the sake of clan pride! Something that they wasn't entirely necessary!

Mikoto quickly shot down her sadness at her new discovery, that wasn't what was important, Itachi, Itachi was her first priority. Haruka and Takashi tried their best to assist their friend and god son, and for their efforts, Mikoto was thankful. However she knew that since they had no direct connection with the Uchihas, there was very little that they could actually do.

Itachi was very bright even at age two. He knew what was actually going on. The clan wanted him to start the academy soon and apparently, it was abnormal for students to be as young as him. Personally, he had no qualms about starting early, it was his kaa-son he was worried about. For her sake, he would wait until she thought he was of age.

However he began having second thoughts about his choice when he saw the state his mother was in. Her usually cheery eyes were dull, her sleek black hair grew mussed, and her beautiful smiles were forced. Aunt Haruka and Uncle Takashi seemed just as exhausted. If there was one thing he hated, it would be being an inconvenience towards others.

Without consulting his mother, he stalked towards the elders's residence and declared that he was going to the academy. The clan of course was thrilled by this, yet Mikoto was not. After his daring move, his kaa-san became more hesitant and closed.

On his first day to the ninja school, before he left, his mother hesitantly asked him if he actually wanted to go to the academy, that if he didn't want to, he wouldn't have to. He looked back at her trembling form, sadness spewing in waves from her body. Itachi nodded and respectfully bowed before making his way out.

The prodigy felt no remorse for his choice, although his kaa-san would be happier if he were to wait until he turned five and then attend as all the other children do, she wouldn't be able to achieve her goal. Itachi knew that his mother was an overly hopeful and determined person, and if she were to fail to convince the clan elders, she would never forgive herself for failing him.

He wouldn't have thought she failed, she fought for him and that was enough for Itachi, but his kaa-san wouldn't forgive herself. To save her the heartbreak, he would follow the clan's demands. His mother was Itachi's most important person and he would make sure to protect her well.

As they made their way closer to his Aunt and Uncle's modest home, he spotted a dotted figure waiting outside. With his twenty-twenty vision, he was able to tell that it was in fact his Aunt Haruka waiting outside for them.

At the sight of each other, the two women shrieked in happiness, while Uncle Takashi stood next to him, looking a bit sheepish at his girlfriend's embarrassing actions.

"Hello Itachi, long time no see now huh? I've heard you had recently started the academy." he patted said boy's head gently in a fatherly way.

Itachi had always had an act for reading people's emotions, and although all the occupants of the cramped apartment were smiling, he could tell that inwardly, they felt uneasy about his going to the academy; after all, it was they that tried to prevent that from happening.

He nodded slowly as if to acknowledge his words. Itachi was currently the center of attention, and although he seemed unaffected, he couldn't help but feel uneasiness churning in his stomach. It was moments like those that made him feel guilty for making the choice he did because it had ruined all their hard work, for _him_.

Sensing the growing discomfort in the room, Haruka quickly interupted.

"We've bought cake! After all it is your brithday Mikoto-chan! It's your favorite, green tea cake with vanilla icing!"

"Eh? It's my birthday already?" the Uchiha Matriarch had completely forgotten about it, after all she had much more important things to attend to commemorate her date of birth.

Plus, the clan never made birthdays a big deal, unless it was your eighteenth birthday, which meant your becoming of age. Mikoto had long forgotten it after years of non celebration. During her first birthday as the Uchiha Lady, she was utterly disappointed that no one had even bothered to acknowledge her presence, but she quickly hid it. Even Fugaku, the love of her life hadn't bothered to wish her a happy birthday. Mikoto had spent the rest of her special day cleaning and slaving over the stove for her beloved husband.

Don't get her wrong, she was not self-important; Mikoto didn't want to be showered in gifts, nor did she want a huge party or anything extravagant, all she wanted was a simple 'happy birthday.' She didn't think that was too hard to ask for, yet not one person complied to her wishes.

If anyone would remember her birthday it was Haruka, however, she was out on a mission, thus Mikoto had to spend her 'special day' alone. However she did not begrudge her friend for that, after all, the week before she left for her mission, she dedicated the whole day to celebrate her birthday, and uttered the words she longed to hear over and over again to make up for her clan's lack of response.

After that year, Mikoto never expected anything more, in fact, she almost forgot it every year until Haruka yelled it to her face; this year was no different.

The quartet chatted happily as they ate their cake, even Itachi, who hadn't especially like sweets ate a slice. Haruka had went overboard again by buying ten gifts for her best friend. She stated over and over again how she was so sorry about all the times she missed Mikoto's birthday because of a mission. Mikoto had been very thankful for Haruka's efforts and by dusk, they exited the cheery home to the Uchiha compound.

Silently, Itachi reached his unoccupied hand into his pocket, pulling out a small, carefully wrapped gift and held it in front of his oblivious mother.

"Itachi what is-" she gasped midway through her speech, here eyes twinkling as bright as lights.  
"Tanjoubi omedetou, Kaa-san." he allowed a small quirk of his lips, Itachi smile gently at his beloved mother.

Mikoto kneeled down so that her face was parallel to her sons, tears collected on the corners of her eyes from pure gratitude. Her hands cupped Itachi's pale cheeks, her expression clearly conveying her happiness and love towards him.

She touched her forehead to his and whispered "Arigato." Mikoto hugged Itachi tightly, she was right, Itachi was one of the best things that ever happened to her, he was _her_ little boy, and she couldn't have wished for a better son.

Mikoto she hummed lightly as she ate dinner, not the least bit uncomfortable at the silence. Fugaku couldn't help but notice that his wife was in a good mood, and although he was glad for her, he felt slightly peeved for not knowing why. His eyebrows furrowed and his dark eyes trailed to Mikoto's left hand. Said hand was currently fondling a white chrysanthemum charm that dangled perfectly on a silver chain.

His eyes narrowed into slits, if he remembered correctly, the white chrysanthemum represented pure love and good luck. Who would dare give something like that to _his wife_? And was the giver that important that she would actually wear it? He contemplated it might have been that Ito girl that gave it to Mikoto, but shrugged it off; there was no way that Ito would choose to convey that message. But who, who would directly defy him by hitting on his wife?

"Mikoto," if was the first time that Fugaku had spoken to her that day, "who gave you that necklace." It came out more as a command rather than a question.

Knocked out of her stupor, Mikoto states, "Oh, this? It was given to me by a very special man." She winked in Itachi's direction before she began carrying the dirtied plates into the kitchen.

Fugaku turned his probing gaze to his two year old son, clearly expecting an explanation for the gift.

Itachi raised his napkin, carefully wiping his unstained face, "It is Kaa-san's birthday today."  
With that, the Uchiha prodigy scooted his chair back and walked soundlessly out of the room, leaving a stupefied Fugaku alone in the dining room.

_

_Two Years Later_

Panting filled the air, Mikoto and Itachi were currently running towards Haruka and Takashi's apartment; Mikoto having a slightly harder time from being two months pregnant.

"HARUKA!" screamed Mikoto, Itachi trailing not far behind her, worry showing slightly in his expression.

She was answered with sobs and cries of pain. Haruka laid on the floor, arms flailing, practically screaming her guts out. Anbu had just informed her that Takashi... Takashi had passed away on his infiltration mission in Suna-gakure. The red headed woman had refused to believe that such a thing could happen to him, she optimistically thought that perhaps he escaped the ambush and was hiding safely.  
Haruka and him have been going out for years now, and were engaged but recently, they were going to get married just next month. Everything had been going perfectly, their relationship had been nothing short of a fairytale. The thought of either of them dying had never occurred to her, sure she knew the costs of having a ninja profession, however they always made it alive at the end. Sadly, that was not the case. Haruka was scared and hurt, losing him had been like losing a part of herself.

The young couple had been so in love with each other. Haruka had never thought about another man in her whole life so it was devastating to see the love of her life snatched away from her.

Haruka was a total mess, at first when she was informed of her fiance's death, she thought it was a joke. She was angered at the Anbu for playing a trick on her, but later, her anger faded and distress fell upon her. The pitying look the Anbu gave her was enough to sent her into sorrow. Haruka immediately demanded the Anbu to leave. She sunk into the ground to wallow in sadness, blocking out any other priorities.

Mikoto had been reading when she heard about Takashi. The Anbu that was sent to notify Haruka had left as she demanded, because he knew that all he'd be is a nuisance to the weeping woman. It was not a secret that Haruka was best friend to the Uchiha Matriarch. He jetted off to the compound as soon as the door closed upon his face.

Itachi who had overheard the Anbu went with his mother to make sure his aunt was okay.

"Haruka! It's me, I heard about what happened..."

"Takashi...Takashi..." Haruka repeated the name brokenly, over and over again in a mantra. Her usually gleaming brown orbs dull and souless.

Mikoto was saddened by the look in her friend's eyes, it was as if she had become a whole new person. In her eyes, Haruka was not the girl she met in the academy, nor was she the outgoing woman that had become her sister at heart, she was a faded out version of who she loved. Her heart clenched painfully at the sight; she couldnt stand to see her like this.  
Running across the room to her friend, she grasped Haruka's hand in a gentle yet strong grip; spreading her legs into a strong foot hold, she yanked as hard as she could in order to get the shorter women up on her feet.  
"Yada! Haruka! Stop this, come on, get up from the floor! Takashi... Takashi wouldn't want you to be like this!" Mikoto's sane mind also began to crumble. Over the years, Takashi had become a friend to Mikoto, they along with Haruka did everything together; he was like the brother that she never had. The familiar prickling sensation began to wear behind her eyes. The shock was starting to wear off, and she suddenly became aware that he was... never coming back. She too began to cry. She dropped Haruka's lifeless like arm, wrapping her's around the redhead's pale nape. The women hugged each other, tears mixing together, grief flowing out of their system.

Itachi stood on the side awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Uncle Takashi had become someone he liked, and he felt sad that he was gone. But ever since he was little, he learned that tears were a weakness. Itachi had been so accustomed to it that he wouldn't be able to cry even if he had wanted to.

He quietly shuffled his feet to the women, and sat himself down to give them what little support his presence could convey.

"Mikoto... you...you don't un...understand." Haruka sobbed.

"Ha-Haruka, I know you loved him a lot, and that you were going to get married, he was one of my best friends, I understand that you're hurting."

"..." Haruka remained silent, she was too upset to talk.

"You're not alone, me... me and Itachi are here."

Silence soon followed after the ebony haired woman's words. Tears began to die down, the grief filled atmosphere began to air out and eventually faded to an awkward muteness. After what seemed like a decade, Haruka broke the silence, "Y-yeah," her voice was raw from crying, "I'm not alone am I? I have you, Itachi, Tou-san and Kaa-san, even if they don't really like me, they're still family. I l-love .. loved...T-Takashi a lot, and I don't think I ever will get over him. But I'm not alone, and I have...too." Haruka gently padded her stomach.

Mikoto gasped and Itachi's eyes widened a small fraction.

"You mean?"

"Yes."

"How far are you?"

"Three weeks now, I had just found out recently actually."

Mikoto squealed in delight.

"For Itachi's sake, please let it be a girl!" the Uchiha joked, Haruka laughed at that. Even after all these years, they still remembered their promise. Itachi sat their, brows furrowed, his five year old mind working overtime. Just what were they talking about he thought?

The previous tension was lifted. The sadness was completely drained, the women soon became their normal selfs, how they bouced back so fast was a mystery to Itachi. Regardless of the smile set on her face, Haruka was still upset, but tried not to dwell on it; after all, now she had someone else to worry about.

_

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